Kafejnīca Vendene (permanently closed)

This Latvian-style tavern is located at the roundabout by the Cesis Victory Monument. The interior’s dim and did not feel inviting. There was only one waitress behind the counter. As I was not greeted by anyone, and there was a customer at the counter inquiring, holding a menu, I thought maybe I have to order at the counter first. Only after I inquired I was told that orders will be taken at the table. Seeing it was a beautiful day, I sat out on the terrace. The menu was printed on plain white A4 paper placed in a leather-like folder, not appealing. It also took a while for the waitress to take my order.

I had the Sauerkraut soup (granny style) and Chicken Schnitzel with cheese topping. I thought the soup would be sour but it wasn’t. It was mildly sour and savory. The soup was satisfyingly appetizing, it had barley and different types of sausages. The dill gave it a lovely herb fragrance.
I did not like the Chicken Schnitzel. It was bland and the crust was soggy and had a weird texture (like a soggy fried beaten egg).

Unfortunately for me, the soup was the only thing satisfying about this restaurant.

Kafejnīca Vendene

Opening hours: Sunday – Thursday (12:00 – 21:00), Friday and Saturday (12:00 – 23:00)

Address: Vaļņu iela 1, Cēsis, Cēsu pilsēta, LV-4101, Latvia

Telephone: +371 64 161 361

Stockpot

Stockpot is a cozy little establishment offering affordable, quick, and healthy meals. The restaurant is owned by a British man and his Latvian wife. This is a great place to have a cheap meal that is not fast food. The seating is mostly communal. Inside are two big communal tables and two small tables by the window, along with two tables outside (6 per table). In the beginning, it was awkward for me to eat in the presence of strangers. However, seeing that everyone was comfortable with it, the awkwardness did not linger for long.

The menu changes daily, serving mostly Asian / Eastern dishes. There is a detailed menu on their website, which is really helpful to decide if you want to have the food offered for that day. They also have lactose-free, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. There are two portions available – full or half. For me, the half portion with a bowl of soup was sufficient.

The restaurant gets very busy during lunchtime, so either go early or after the lunch rush.

I had dinner at Stockpot for two consecutive days. Both times I went, I really enjoyed the food. It tasted like home-cooked food. Both meals cost me less than € 5, which was really cheap, considering that this was not a fast-food restaurant.

**Update
Stockpot has moved to a new location

Stockpot
Website: https://www.stockpot.lv/en

Opening hours:

Wednesday	11 am–7 pm
Thursday	11 am–7 pm
Friday	11 am–7 pm
Saturday	Closed
Sunday	Closed
Monday	11 am–7 pm
Tuesday	11 am–7 pm

Telephone: +37127832165
Address: Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 36, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Cesu Maize

Cesu Maize is a small bakery located next to the St. John’s church in the Cesis old town selling handmade traditional bread. The bread is baked from Latvian organic whole grain wheat and spelt wheat whole grain flour. Made with natural leaven (sourdough), without the addition of bread yeast (turisms.cesis.lv, 2018).

It is a tiny bakery tucked inside a building. There is a big sign outside the main entrance, you can’t miss it. When I entered the bakery, the smell of freshly baked bread had enveloped the whole place. The owner/ baker was friendly; he spoke some English. There is a poster on the wall at the entrance with information on the different bread available. There are also bread samples. The price is based on weight. I bought the spelt wholegrain wheat sweet bread with nuts, raisins, and dried apricots for €2.40. It had a dark hard crust, and the inside was dense and semi-soft.

When I had my first bite, I did not think much of the bread. Then, I started to taste the fragrant flavors of the bread on my third bite, and I was like, “Wow, this bread is delicious”! After that, I could not stop eating it. It was mildly sour, sweet with a nutty flavor.

I highly recommend this bakery if you are traveling to Cesis. It is one of the best bread I have tasted, and I am certain you will not be disappointed.

Cesu Maize

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cesu.maize/

Opening hours: 10:00 – 18:00

Telephone: +371 26 412 803

Restaurant Memories ( permanently closed)

Restaurant Memories is located in LEGEND, a residential quarter in Bulduri, in a beautiful white villa. When I entered the restaurant, it felt like I was in a classy summer residence. There is a display of Bakeberry desserts showcased in the lobby (Bakeberry is a popular dessert restaurant in Riga). I love the coastal color palette used for interior decorations. The interior is bright and cozy. There is also an outside terrace.

The waiters were polite and professional. The menu had a good variety. Their breakfast menu is surprisingly available till 16:30! I ordered the baked chicken with mashed potatoes which were €13.50. The chicken was tender and juicy, lightly flavored. Unfortunately for me, the dish was not exciting.

Nonetheless, I really love the atmosphere of the restaurant. I would go back again to give the other dishes a try.

Restaurant Memories

Website: http://memories-restorans.lv/en/memories-restaurant-in-bulduri-jurmala/

Telephone: +371 67 869 711

Opening hours: 10:00–23:00

Address: Bulduru prospekts 17, Jūrmala, LV-2010, Latvia

Famous Amos cookies!

Famous Amos Midvalley

Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies are my all-time favorite. Their stores can be found in most major malls in Kuala Lumpur, such as Suria KLCC, Pavilion, and Sunway Pyramid. The pictures shown here were taken in Midvalley. The store is located on the lower ground floor.

Whenever I am back in Kuala Lumpur, I always try to buy a few bags of cookies. These melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies are packed with sweet, buttery, chocolaty, and nutty flavors. There is an assortment of cookies. My favorite flavors are double chocolate chip pecan, chocolate chip pecan, and chocolate chip macadamia. Other than cookies, they also sell chocolates and sweets.

The cookies are packed into a plastic cookie bag and can be sealed upon request for later consumption. If I remember correctly, it keeps for about 3 weeks. The cookies can also be purchased online on the Malaysia Famous Amos website.

Famous Amos

Website: https://www.famousamos.com.my/

Cheap breakfast the Malaysian way

Staying at the Hilton Sentral, I had a variety of Indian restaurants to choose from in Brickfields (also known as Little Indian), which is just walking distance. But out of convenience, I chose to go to Devi’s corner in Bangsar as I wanted to go shopping at the Bangsar village mall which is just across from the establishment.

One cannot come to Malaysia and not try the Malaysian-style Indian breakfast. It is cheap and good!

The food at Devi’s corner is good but not the best. As I was traveling alone, as long as I got my favorite roti boom (roti with loads of margarine and sugar) and Teh Tarik ice, I am satisfied!

What I liked about Devi’s corner was that it was clean and not overly crowded.

For me, a cup of cold Teh Tarik (ice pulled tea) with roti boom is the perfect combination. There are many varieties of roti. If it’s your first time trying it, go for the basic roti Canai first as all other variations are based on this quintessential flatbread. All rotis are served with dhal curry and either fish or chicken curry.

Teh Tarik is considered Malaysia’s national drink. It is made from black tea and condensed milk. Teh Tarik got its name from the “pulling” process as the tea is poured from one mug to another. This process gives the tea its smooth texture and thick frothy top.

The dishes that I have mentioned above can be found in almost all similar Indian establishments (or known as Mamak stalls locally).

Devi’s corner

Opening hours: open 24 hours

Telephone number: +60 12-267 6714

Baked Japanese beef curry rice with cheese

I was reminiscing about this amazing baked Japanese curry rice I had in Hakone, Japan last winter. So I thought I would take a stab at making a baked Japanese curry rice.

This is my first attempt at making Japanese curry cheese-baked rice. It is an easy no-fuss dish!

Below are the ingredients and steps I took for this dish. Feel free to add or replace the ingredients based on your liking. One mistake I made was using too much rice, so I altered the amount of rice in the recipe below, which would be more suitable for 3 people.

Ingredients

7 tbsp of curry powder

1 1/2 cup minced beef

Half an onion, cut into quarters

7 fresh baby carrots (cut into quarters)

10 – 15 sweet peas

2 medium potatoes (cut into chunks)

A handful of broccoli florets

2 cups of water

2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (mozzarella cheese is another good option)

1 1/2 cup of cooked rice

This is the curry powder I used; you can use any Japanese curry powder or cubes that you like.

Sauté the onions and carrots over medium heat for approximately 5 – 8 minutes. I prefer my carrots soft, so I cooked them a little longer.

Add the potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are almost cooked or until you can easily poke through the potato with a fork.

Add in minced beef and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli and sweet peas and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour the water in and bring to boil. Reduce to medium heat and add the curry powder.

Stir until well combined, and the gravy thickens.

Preheat the oven to 218 °C or 425°F. Spread the rice evenly in a baking dish. Pour the curry sauce on top of the rice. Then sprinkle the grated cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.

Voila! A cheesy, creamy, savory curry rice dish.

Baked Japanese curry rice

Servings: 3
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients

7 tbsp of curry powder

1 1/2 cup minced beef

7 fresh baby carrots (cut into quarters)

Half an onion, cut into quarters

10 – 15 sweet peas

2 medium potatoes (cut into chunks)

A handful of broccoli florets

2 cups of water

2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (mozzarella cheese is another good option)

1 1/2 cup of cooked rice

Directions

Sauté the onions and carrots over medium heat for approximately 5 – 8 minutes.
Add the potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are almost cooked or until you can easily poke through the potato with a fork.
Add in minced beef and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the broccoli and sweet peas and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour the water in and bring to boil. Reduce to medium heat and add the curry powder.
Stir until well combined, and the gravy thickens.
Preheat the oven to 218 °C or 425°F. Spread the rice evenly in a baking dish. Pour the curry sauce on top of the rice. Then sprinkle the grated cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.
Serve immediately!

Each curry powder or cube is different. The curry powder I used had enough flavoring that it didn’t require me to add salt. If you are not sure about yours, taste the curry before adding it to your rice and season accordingly.

Odakyu Hotel de Yama, Hakone

I was very fortunate that on two out of the three days, I was at Lake Ashi, the weather was clear and beautiful, which allowed me to bask in the beauty of the lake and its surroundings, including the view of Mt. Fuji.

This villa-turned-hotel resort has a 70-year history. I love how the hotel has maintained its charm and history. The hotel has two restaurants and a café. Vert Bois serves French cuisine, Tsutsuji no Chaya serves Japanese kaiseki cuisine, and Salon de Thé Rosage is a dessert restaurant with a premium shop by the lake.

When you check-in, you are asked to choose what cuisine you would like for each day of your stay and time. I decided on having French on my first night and Japanese Kaiseki on the second.

Vert Bois

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I enjoyed my meal at Vert Bois. The table was beautifully set up. All waitresses were well-dressed and mannered. There was harmony between the waitresses, setting a calm atmosphere in the restaurant.

I liked that each table had a menu. I personally like to know the name of each dish I’m having. Sometimes it is hard to make out what the waiter said, especially if English is not their first language.

As I don’t like eating raw fish, they replaced the marinated tuna with abocado’s tartare with a Paté dish. All the dishes served were delicious. My favorite would be the fish of the day. It was really fresh and cooked to perfection. The fish was accompanied by a sweet red wine sauce, just the right amount that didn’t overpower the fish’s natural flavor. The dishes were served at a good pace; I didn’t have to wait too long between each dish.

Tsutsuji no Chaya has a calm and soft environment with a violet-colored carpeted floor, wooden tables, and chairs, with soft lighting and neutral walls.

Sadly, I had to skip the kaiseki dinner as I felt pretty sick after two cable car rides earlier that day. I am highly susceptible to motion sickness, and it was pretty windy that day. As I was looking forward to the kaiseki meal, I made my way down to the restaurant when I felt a bit better. Shortly after having the first appetizer, I felt nauseous. So I told the waiter to just serve me rice and miso soup.

The menu was pretty impressive. As you can see from the picture on the right (excuse the blurriness), there is quite a variety.

There is the option of an American breakfast or a Japanese breakfast. The American breakfast is served at Vert Bois, including juice, coffee or tea, croissant, pickled vegetables, sausages with toast, salad, and your choice of eggs. It was so relaxing and serene to have breakfast with the stunning view of the lake. A great start to the day.

Odakyu Hotel De Yama

Website: http://www.hakone-hoteldeyama.jp/en/

Telephone: +81 460836321

Address: 80 Moto-Hakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun,
Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0522

+81

Simple meal in Nagoya

I had one day in Nagoya. It was a stopover before I headed on to Hakone. I usually plan ahead and look for good places to eat, but I decided to wing it in Nagoya.

After checking into the Mitsui Garden Hotel Nagoya Premier, I ventured around the area to look for a place to have lunch. It was windy and cold, and a bowl of hot ramen quickly became my top choice.

ラの壱名駅店 ranoichi ramen

The ramen chain store restaurant is just two streets from the Mitsui Garden Hotel. The staff was friendly. Unfortunately, there is no English menu. Not all the staff can speak English. I had to order blindly. As I read some Chinese characters, I noticed on the top left of the menu that the restaurant was serving two types of ramen for a limited time. I wasn’t sure what type of ramen it was, but the picture looked good, so I ordered one. If I heard correctly, the waitress mentioned miso when she served me the noodles. The ramen was surprisingly good. It had a thick creamy miso broth, slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness, but nothing like the miso soup where the miso flavor is the dominating taste. Other than the miso flavor, I could also taste the meat broth. The toppings differed from the ramen I had in Kyoto and Osaka. It was perfect for the cold day. A satisfying meal, indeed!

Ranoichi ramen

Website: http://www.ranoichi.com/store/meieki/

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11: 00 AM~ 23: 30 PM, Sundays and public holidays 11: 00AM ~ 22: 00PM

Telephone: +81 52-446-5581

Address: Nagoya-shi Nakamura-ku Nominami 4-27-7 Noda-ya Building 1F

Craft Works Cafe by Hand Bakes

I had been walking for hours, tired and cold, to the point where I wanted to fill my stomach and head back to the hotel to rest. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to eat. I couldn’t be bothered to walk around in the cold to look for a restaurant; I thought most malls have a floor where it’s all for dining, so I headed over to Parco mall, the nearest mall.

I got to the 7th floor of the Parco mall, looked at the list of restaurants, and randomly picked this restaurant. The color scheme and pictures on the wall gave me a warm and homey feel. I ordered the grilled chicken and veggie plate with gorgonzola sauce which was ¥950. The food was decent. The rice was a little dry. A simple average meal.

Craft Works Cafe by Hand Bakes

7th Floor of Parco West building

Website: http://nagoya.parco.jp/web/restaurant/craftworks/01/

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 11:00 AM to 22:30 PM

Telephone: +81 52-264-8058

Crispy Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Couscous

This dish is simple and delicious! A great dinner dish for those who want something a little less heavy. The subtle flavors of each ingredient, when eaten together, give this amazingly aromatic and savory flavor.

I found this recipe on the Country Living website. You can get the recipe here.

I lacked a few ingredients, such as the salted pepitas and the box of olive oil and herb couscous, so I had to make them from scratch. I used a garlic couscous recipe instead of a herb one. I find that the garlic gives it a richer and stronger flavor.

Below are the recipes I used for those ingredients.

Salted pepitas

https://www.rachelcooks.com/2011/10/12/pumpkin-seeds-pepitas-eight-ways/

I used the traditional recipe. The recipe asked for 2 cups, but I just made 1 cup and used half of all the ingredients required.

Roasted garlic and olive oil couscous

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/roasted-garlic-and-olive-oil-couscous-48100